Railway-switch lock.



No. 829,832. PATENTED AUG. 28, 1906.

RpA. BECKER. RAILWAY SWITCH LOCK. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16. 1906.

l l A ac/A -7///////////////// WITNESS ES- INVENTDR- vg RnbERT/l EEKER; @www mi' M HUH- 'utilize the handle for push the handle clear back IINITIO STATES garanti onirica ROBERT A. BECKER, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GEN- ERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

eaiLwaY-swaToi-i LOCK.

Application filed January 16,

To all 1li/"1,0711, t amr/J concern:

Be it known that I, Renner A. BECKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady. State el' N ew il rk, have im ented certain new and useful improvements inRailway- Switch Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway-switch locks of the type provided with means con-. trollable from a distance for holding the,

Vswitch-lock in locking position, so that it cannot be moved manually ot the distant operator.

The object of my invention is to insure the return of the switch-lock after manual operation to the proper position for again placing it under the distant control. Obviously if the locking member is not thus returned it may be moved manually at any time without the consent ofthe distant operator, and accidents may follow.

Switch-lookin f devices of the ty e to which my invention re ates are ordinari y inclosed for protection from the weather in a casing mounted on a suitable support and provided with a door for giving access to the handle for moving the locking member manually from locking osition when released by the distant controll.

- My invention consists in so arranging the locking mechanism relatively to the door' that the door cannot be closed unless the lockinemember is in locking position. Since the rules of the road require that the door must always be closed before the brakeman or other operator .leaves the switch, it is eviwithout the consent dent that with this arrangement the locking member/must be placed under the distant control at the same time.

In carrying out my/ invention I prefer to shifting the locking member as the means for preventing the closing of the door unless the locking member is in locking position. This end is obtained in a simple manner by so arranging the handle that in locking position it is in engagement with the door when the door is closed and moved outwardly through the door to move the locking member from locking osition'. lVith this arrangement the door'c viously cannot be closed until the handle is restored fte/locking position, and if the operator does Speccaton of Letters Patent.

to locking po- 'Patented Aug. 28, 1906.

1906. Serial No. 296,345.

`sition the door in closing will engage the handle and completeits movement tolocking position.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which` r Figure l shows a front elevation of a switchlock arranged in accordance with my invention with the casing in cross-section; Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the same with the parts in locking position,and Fig. 3 shows a similar view with the parts moved out of lookin position.

Int e drawings, A represents a rod which by its movement locks and unlocks a rail- Way-track switch. The switch itself and the connections between the rod A and the trackswitch are not shown, since many such arrangements are well known in the art and form no part of my present invention, The rod A is controlled by a shaft B, to which it is connected through a crank. (Shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3.) The shaft B carries insulated movable contacts adapted to engage the stationary contacts C (shown in Fi l) to control a signal or indicator in the usua manner.

D re resents an electromagnet which is controlld from a distant point, the pivoted armature E of which carries at its end a latch F, which is adapted to engage a dog G en `the sliaftB, so as to hold the shaft in locking nosition. The arrangement of latch F and dog G is clearly shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines, 'As long as the magnet is deenergized the track-switch cannot be unlocked 3 but it the magnet D is energized it will lift the latch F out of engagement with the dog 'G and allow the handle Il to be moved to shift the mechanism Jfrom locking position, as shown in Fig. 3. A The mechanism is inclosed in the usual casing I, mounted on a suitable support provided .with a door J for iving access to the handle for moving the evice from locking position when released by the distant control. It is evident that if after the handle I-I is moved to the position shown in Fig. 3 it is not returned all the way to locking position the latch F cannot engage the dog G, so that the locking device is no longer under the control of the. yoperator at the distant point. In order to insure the full return movement of the handle H, I so arrange the handle relatively to the door J that when the handle is in locking position and the door closed, as shown in Fig. 2, the handle and door are in engagement. Consequently the door cannot` be closed until the handle is in locking position, or, in other `Words, if the 'handle is not fully returned to locking position the door in closing Will complete its movement, with the result that When the door of the casing is closed the switch-lock is at all, times under the distant control.

)Iy invention is not limited to any particular construction or arrangement of switchlock, and consequently I do'notdesire lo limit myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts here shown7 but aim in the appended claims to cover all modiiications which are Within the scope of my invention.

IVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Pate-nt of the United States, is-

l. In combination, a locking member, a latch controllable from a distance for holding said member in locking position, a casing, a door in said casing, and means for preventing .the closing of said door except When said member is in locking position.

2. In combination, a locking member, a

latch controllable from a distance for holding said member in locking position, a handle for moving said member from locking position When released by the latch, a casing, and a door in said casing for giving access to said,

latch controllable from a distance for holding said member in locking position, a casing, a door in said casing, and a handle Within said casing connected to said locking member, said handle being arranged to engage said door when the handle is in locking position and the door closed and to move outwardly through the door in shifting said member rroin locking position.

4. In combination, a locking member, a latch controllable from a distance for holding said member in locking position, a casing, a door in said casing, and a handle Within said casing connected to said locking member, said handle being arranged to prevent the closingr of said door except when the handle is in locn'ing position.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of January, y1906.

ROBERT A. BECKER.

/Vitnesses:

ALEX. F. MACDONALD, HELEN ORFORD. 

